Abstract
Purpose:
To evaluate the effects of a novel hyaluronic acid (HA) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) ophthalmic solution on ocular discomfort after cataract surgery.
Methods:
This comparative, observational, multicentric study involved 282 patients(n=282 eyes) who were scheduled for unilateral cataract surgery. This patients were randomized to received only a tobramicin-dexamethasone acetate solution in a 4-weeks tapering regimen (control group, 136 patients),or, in addition, a novel HA/CMC ophthalmic solution (HA/CMC group, 146 patients) for the first five postoperative weeks. At Week 1 and Week 5 postoperative visits, ocular discomfort was evaluated in all patients using Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Visual Analogic Scales (VAS); tear Break-up Time (T-BUT) and corneal fluoresceine staining were also performed. At the preoperative visit (0-90 days before surgery) Schirmer test without anesthesia (ST) was carried out in order to exclude severe dry-eye cases.
Results:
At Week 5 the T-BUT in the HA/CMC group was significantly higher in comparison with control group (P<0.001). At Week 1 and Week 5 visits the corneal staining in the HA/CMC group was significantly lower than the control group ( P=0.05 and P=0.002, respectively).The OSDI score decreased significantly in both groups from Week 1 to Week 5, with a lower score in HA/CMC group in both visits. At Week 5 symptoms score in the study group was lower than controls (P<0.05).
Conclusions:
HA/CMC ophthalmic solution after cataract surgery was effective in reduction of postoperative ocular discomfort.
Keywords: 486 cornea: tears/tear film/dry eye •
445 cataract •
503 drug toxicity/drug effects